The Sweetest Hallelujah

The Sweetest Hallelujah

Back of the Book

An unforgettable story of two courageous women brought together by one extraordinary little girl

Betty Jewel Hughes was once the hottest black jazz singer in Memphis. But when she finds herself pregnant and alone, she gives up her dream of being a star to raise her beautiful daughter, Billie, in Shakerag, Mississippi. Now, ten years later, in 1955, Betty Jewel is dying of cancer and looking for someone to care for Billie when she's gone. With no one she can count on, Betty Jewel does the unthinkable: she takes out a want ad seeking a loving mother for her daughter.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, recently widowed Cassie Malone is an outspoken housewife insulated by her wealth and privileged white society. Working part-time at a newspaper, she is drawn to Betty Jewel through her mysterious ad. With racial tension in the South brewing, the women forge a bond as deep as it is forbidden. But neither woman could have imagined the gifts they would find in each other, and in the sweet young girl they both love with all their hearts. Deeply moving and richly evocative, The Sweetest Hallelujah is a remarkable tale about finding hope in a time of turmoil, and about the transcendent and transformative power of friendship.

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Elaine Hussey's Bio

Elaine Hussey lives in the Deep South where her love of blues and admiration for the unsung heroes who arose out of her state's history served as inspiration for her debut novel, The Sweetest Hallelujah. An accomplished musician, she sings in her church choir, plays a vintage baby grand, and composed the blues lyrics that appear throughout the novel and are credited to Li'l Rosie. She is an avid gardener who loves to use her culinary herbs to cook for family and friends in her country cottage. She loves music, old movies, roses, gaudy rings and the fans who have remained loyal through a very long career. Elaine Hussey is a pen name for Peggy Webb.